SOUTHEAST EUROPE-GERMANY BUSINESS & INVESTMENT SUMMIT

SOUTHEAST EUROPE-GERMANY BUSINESS & INVESTMENT SUMMIT

Overview

Europe is regaining a significant part of its lost ground in terms of GDP growth a decade after the global financial crisis. However, it is still facing critical challenges, such as economic divergence between North and South, persistent populist and nationalist tendencies and geopolitical uncertainty, especially in relation with Brexit, Trump’s policy, Russia’s ambitions and the situation in the Middle East and east Mediterranean.Will Germany accept president Macron’s proposals to reform the Εurozone? How are the other EU member states reacting?

At the same time, southeast European governments are implementing policies to increase competitiveness, attract foreign investment and provide stability and prosperity. Southeast Europe’s energy and transportation networks are now in the spotlight in EU’s strategy to boost interregional cooperation and growth.Will this effort flourish?It is against this setting, that The EconomistEvents in co-operation with the German-Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) and the valuable support of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), have great pleasure in announcing the organisation of the Southeast Europe-Germany Business & Investment Summit which is scheduled to take place in Berlin on December 3rd 2018.

In collaboration with:

Speakers

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews was born in Birmingham, England.

Education
King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Pembroke College, Cambridge University (BA and MA in classical and modern Arabic), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of London (Institute of Education)

Career
Until moving back to London in November 2006, John Andrews was The Economist’s most experienced foreign correspondent.
In a 24-year career that included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, his foreign postings have ranged from Singapore and Hong Kong to Brussels, Washington DC, Paris and finally Los Angeles. Before joining The Economist, Andrews spent six years with the Guardian and led the paper’s coverage of OPEC during its 1979–82 heyday. He came to the Guardian after living for seven years in the Arab world, first as an academic in Libya and Lebanon and then as a journalist. Working for NBC News he covered the Middle East peace–shuttle of Henry Kissinger and the first year of the Lebanese civil war. As a resident of the region and subsequently as a visitor, he interviewed personalities such as Muammar Gadhafy, Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weitzman.

Publications
John Andrews has written two books on Asia, co-authored a book on Europe and contributed chapters to other books, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A recent book was The Economist Book of Isms. His new book, The World in Conflict, examines war and conflict around the world. His special reports in The Economist, have covered subjects as diverse as civil aerospace, the European Union and the world of sport.

Languages
English, French, Arabic

Margarita Antoniou

Member of the board, Enterprise Greece, head, directorate of international organizations, Ministry of Economy & Development, Greece

Margarita Antoniou

Member of the board, Enterprise Greece, head, directorate of international organizations, Ministry of Economy & Development, Greece

Antoniou Margarita is a chemical engineer (Intergraded master), of the Greek National Polytechnic School of Athens.

She has five years’ experience in the private sector (processing industries and projects on environmental issues). Since 1985 she has been a public servant in the Hellenic Ministry of Economy & Development. She has seven years experience in control and evaluation of private investments, two years on ministerial strategic planning, ten years on European support framework and programmes (Central Managing Authority and Sectoral Managing Authority), 11 years in the directorate for international economic organisations and bilateral cooperation on trade and investment (member of the advisory group of non-member countries of the OECD investment committee, 2 years experience as a member of the Group Financier of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, reports on trade and investment issues for specific countries, ad hoc studies on specific issues concerning international cooperation etc), head of the independent unit for the review of strategic & private investment.

Now she serves as the head of the directorate for international organizations and a member of the Governing Board of Enterprise Greece Organisation. She is involved in the Greek - German Action plan and she has close cooperation with GIZ on the project of export promotion. Member for 7 years as an expert of the ad hoc committee in the Technical Chamber of Greece for the CSF and for development issues and a member of a voluntary team of the training engineer Centre with activities related implementation in development issues more than 20 events in the last 6 years.

She was born in Athens in 1957 and she is married with two children.

Michaela Balis

Director Greece & Cyprus, Germany Trade & Invest

Michaela Balis

Director Greece & Cyprus, Germany Trade & Invest

Michaela Balis was born in Hamburg. Since 2010 she has been representing the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany Trade & Invest, in Greece and in Cyprus.

Previously she worked as the head of the economic relations and marketing department of the German-Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

She holds a University degree in European and International Economic Sciences from the Athens University of Economics and Business and a master degree in European Organization and Diplomacy from the National Kapodestrian University in Athens.

Her mother tongues are German and Greek. She is fluent in French and English.

Dimitrios Dimitriou

Associate professor, dept. of economics, Democritus University of Thrace, chairman of the BoD, Athens International Airport (AIA)

Dimitrios Dimitriou

Associate professor, dept. of economics, Democritus University of Thrace, chairman of the BoD, Athens International Airport (AIA)

Dimitrios Dimitriou educational background includes Doctorate (PhD) in econometric modelling for quantitative air transport forecasting, MSc in airport planning and management, MSc in infrastructures environmental management, and Diploma (equivalent to 4 years BA and 1-year MSc) in civil engineering (transportation sector). His 22 years’ professional experience shared on 3 pillars of activities: education, research and management. His specialisation focuses on planning, management and economics in transport, providing dedicated expertise in air transport sector.

He is associate professor in the department of economics, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTh), Greece, while he has contributed in many Greek and European Universities, providing education and training for more than 20 years in graduate and postgraduate programmes. His contribution outputs include more than 200 papers and presentations in international events, peer review referred journals and conferences, publications in international and national congress and workshops. Also, he has contributed in more than 20 research projects and he contributes in many scientific journals editions, editorial boards, scientific committees in international conferences and scientific missions.

Dimitrios professional truck record includes the occupation of executive management positions in sector of transports and he delivered dedicated studies and consulting in a variety of infrastructure projects in the fields of transport economics and large transport projects-investments appraisal, promoting a strong international profile in management, business economics, project financing, and risk management in transportation sector.

He is chairman of the board of directors (2016-date) at Athens International Airport and member of the board of directors since 2015. He was chairman of the board and chief executive officer in Athens Transports Organisation (3 years/2010-2012). Also, he is member of international expert and management committees in international associations and professional bodies (UN, UNECE etc.). His professional achievements and experience has been acknowledged nationally and internationally, and for 2018 he awarded by the Professional Achievement Award (2017/2018) in Greece by the British Council for the Study UK Alumni awards.

Peter Droege

President, European Association for Renewable Energy (EUROSOLAR)

Peter Droege

President, European Association for Renewable Energy (EUROSOLAR)

Peter Droege directs the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development, the global advisory and research organization for the rapid transition to regenerative communities, cities, regions and infrastructure. Professor Droege serves also as president of Eurosolar, the European Association for Renewable Energy, and as general chairman, World Council for Renewable Energy.

A recipient of the European Solar Prize in education, Peter Droege initiated the Chair for Sustainable Spatial Development at the University of Liechtenstein while holding a Conjoint Professorship at the Faculty of Engineering, School of Architecure and the Built Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia. An inaugural member of the Zayed Future Energy Prize jury and expert commissioner for cities and climate change for the World Future Council he also served on the steering committee of the Urban Climate Change Research Network hosted at Columbia University's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and CUNY. He has taught and researched at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Architecture and Planning, at Tokyo University as endowed chair in urban engineering at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, and as Lend Lease Chair of Urban Design at the University of Sydney.

Sabina Dziurman

Sabina Dziurman

Director, regional head of Greece and Cyprus, EBRD

Ms Dziurman started working in Greece in 1979 in the tourism sector - she changed career following an MBA.

Her first contract with the EBRD was in 1991 where she set up a training course for privatisation officials in St Petersburg, Russia before becoming an expert for the development of viable commercial banking sectors in countries of the former Soviet Union. She spent 12 years as a freelance consultant focussing on banking and SME credit lines, mainly for EBRD but also for organisations such as DFID and World Bank in; Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2004, she became a staff member of EBRD, initially joining the Group for Small Business and later the Financial Institutions Group which provides equity and a range of debt products to 350 partner institutions across EBRD’s countries of operations. She successfully led landmark transactions such as the rescue of Latvia’s Parex Bank and the EBRD’s first investment in Cyprus in the Bank of Cyprus.

Sabina was appointed director for Greece and Cyprus at EBRD in July 2015 and has been based in Athens since September of that year.

Ms Dziurman, a British citizen, was educated at London University and London Business School.

Colin Ellis

Colin Ellis

Colin Ellis is Moody’s chief credit officer in EMEA, and a managing director in the Credit Strategy team. He is responsible for identifying and analyzing the broad macro and credit trends, and leading and coordinating Moody’s ratings approach, across franchises in the region. He is also a member of Moody’s Macroeconomic Board, which sets the global forecasts that underpin Moody’s universe of ratings.

Colin joined Moody’s in February 2012, initially leading the work of the Macroeconomic Board and authoring the quarterly Global Macro Outlook. He subsequently worked in the Financial Institutions Group, developing quantitative forward-looking analyses of sectors and institutions, including modelling asset trends and stress testing.

Previously Colin has worked at the Bank of England, Daiwa Capital Markets and the BVCA. Colin is a Visiting Research Fellow in the economics department at Birmingham University, and has published on topics ranging from investment and pricing to private equity and data uncertainty. He is also a Fellow of the RSA.

Colin holds degrees from York University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Middlesex University. He is based in London.

Nicholas Exarchos

Head of corporate finance for Greece & Cyprus, Deutsche Bank

Nicholas Exarchos

Head of corporate finance for Greece & Cyprus, Deutsche Bank

Nicholas is head of corporate finance for Greece and Cyprus.

During his 25-year career in banking, Nicholas has been a trusted adviser to financial institutions, major corporates as well as the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus. He has led numerous transactions involving debt issuance for sovereigns and corporates, structured finance and project finance.

Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Nicholas was head of Greek DCM at Credit Suisse and head of Greece at J Henry Schroder.

He holds an MSc degree in management science from Imperial College London.

Theodore Fessas

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Greece

Theodore Fessas

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Greece

The chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Mr Theodore Fessas, is the chairman, major shareholder and founder of Quest Holdings.

Quest Holdings, established in 1981 (as Info-Quest), is listed in Athens Stock Exchange since 1998 and owns leading Greek companies in the sectors of information technology, payment transactions, parcel delivery and renewable energy, with a consolidated annual turnover more than €400 m.

Mr Fessas has been the chairman of SEV since May 2014, after he has served for many years as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee. He is the honorary president of the Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises (SEPE) and member of the Boards of Directors of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC-Hellas) and the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE).

He holds a mechanical & electrical engineering diploma from the National Technical University of Athens and a MSc in Thermodynamics from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Theodore Kalantonis

Deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors, Eurobank Ergasias

Theodore Kalantonis

Deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors, Eurobank Ergasias

Mr Theodore Kalantonis is deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors of Eurobank Ergasias S.A., head of Troubled Assets Group.
He is the chairman of the board of directors of Eurobank FPS Loans and Credit Management S.A., vice-chairman of ERB Insurance Services S.A. and vice-chairman, non-executive, of Eurolife ERB Insurance Group Holdings.

He has served as head of Retail Banking at Eurobank (2014-16) and as executive general manager responsible for the retail banking for performing & non-performing loans, the digital banking and the international retail at Alpha Bank (2013-14). He has also served as head of household lending & managing director of Eurobank Cards S.A. (2009-13) and as head of the mortgage lending business at Eurobank (2000-09). He has also worked in the past in managerial positions at Batelle Europe, ABN AMRO Bank, as well as at American Express Bank.

He holds a bachelor degree in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Athens as well as an MBA from the Manchester Business School. Born in Stefania Lakonias, Greece, in 1962.

Nikolaos Karamouzis

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Bank Association

Nikolaos Karamouzis

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Bank Association

Mr Nikolaos Karamouzis is the chairman of the board of directors of Eurobank Ergasias S.A. and chairman of the board of directors of the Hellenic Bank Association (HBA).

At Eurobank Ergasias S.A., he is also the chairman of the strategic planning committee and member of the risk committee and of the nomination committee. He is member of the Bank’s Legal Council and BoD member of Eurobank Cyprus Ltd.

He holds the positions of vice-chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), chairman of the Hellenic advisory board, South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), St Antony’s College, Oxford University, member of the advisory board of diaNEOsis, vice-president of A.D.R. PROMOTION ORGANISATION – ADRO, member of the BoD of Onassis Foundation, member of the board, Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (I.O.B.E.), member of the advisory board of the Humanitarian Organisation “Apostoli” by the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.

He has served as CEO of GENIKI Bank, and adviser to the management and member of the strategic planning committee of Piraeus Bank Group, deputy CEO of Eurobank group for 14 years, in charge of Wholesale Banking activities, deputy governor, National Bank of Greece, chairman, Hellenic Investment Company, deputy governor, Hellenic Bank of Industrial Development, director, Foreign Exchange Division of Bank of Greece and adviser, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (USA).

He holds the position of emeritus professor, University of Piraeus in Greece.

He holds a bachelor degree in economics, University of Piraeus, master degree in economics, American University, USA and Ph.D. in economics with specialization in monetary policy and international finance, Pennsylvania State University, USA.

Dieter Kempf

President, Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Dieter Kempf

President, Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Dieter Kempf was born in Munich in 1953.

After studying business administration from 1973 to 1978 in Munich, he worked at Arthur & Young (now Ernst & Young) from 1978 to 1991, becoming a partner in 1989.

He then joined Datev in Nuremberg in 1991 as a board member, responsible for product and software development. From 1992 onwards, he served as deputy chairman of the board. In 1996, he became chairman, a position he held until March 2016. During Kempf’s time at Datev, the company grew to one of Europe’s largest IT service providers.

From 2011 to 2015, Kempf served as president of BDI’s member association Bitkom (Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media). During this time, he was also vice-president of the BDI.

Dieter Kempf was unanimously elected president of BDI as of January 2017.

In addition, Kempf serves on various supervisory boards and advisory boards. He was made honorary professor of Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2005.

Riccardo Lambiris

Chief executive officer & member of the board of directors, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Riccardo Lambiris

Chief executive officer & member of the board of directors, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Riccardo Lambiris was born in 1975. He studied electronic engineering at the University of Sussex and has obtained a MSc postgraduate degree in project management from the University of Birmingham. He has also obtained an MSc in international trade, transport and finance from City University in the United Kingdom.

He has worked at Rockwell Golde and has a long experience in business and investment banking, covering both the markets of Greece and of south-east Europe, in organisations such as EFG Telesis Finance and HSBC Bank plc. From 2006, amongst others, he served as the head of the department of mergers & acquisitions of HSBC Bank plc for Greece and Cyprus, with emphasis in privatisations.

He is also chairman of the board of the Stock Markets Steering Committee, member of the board of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, vice-chairman of the Hellenic Corporate Governance Council and member of the Board of the American - Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.

He joined the Athens Exchange Group in 1994 and held several positions at the central securities depository, the "Systems Development and Support of Capital Market" (ASYK SA) and the Athens Exchange, while he also served as member of the board at Athens Derivatives Exchange and the Athens Derivatives Exchange Clearing House. He was also member of the board of the LinkUp Markets and of the Federation of the European Securities Exchanges (FESE).

Born in Athens in 1962, he studied economics at the department of economics in Athens University and continued his studies for an MSc (Econ) at Queen Mary College of London.

Holger Linkweiler

Managing director, AviAlliance, AviAlliance Capital

Holger Linkweiler

Managing director, AviAlliance, AviAlliance Capital

Holger Linkweiler is managing director of AviAlliance and AviAlliance Capital. Furthermore, he is vice-chairman of the board of directors of Athens International Airport S.A. In addition, he is a member of the supervisory board of Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH as well as member of the operating board of Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC (San Juan Airport). Within AviAlliance, he oversees aviation, investments & financing, legal, mergers & acquisitions as well as technical services. Furthermore, he heads the asset management of Athens Airport.

Holger is a co-founder of AviAlliance (formerly HOCHTIEF AirPort) and AviAlliance Capital (formerly HOCHTIEF AirPort Capital), established in 1997 respectively 2005. He also managed the acquisitions of the airports in Budapest and Sydney. He was a member of the board of directors of Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd. from 2002 to 2013 and of the board of directors of Budapest Airport Zrt. from 2007 to 2015. Furthermore, Holger was a member of the supervisory board of Flughafen Hamburg GmbH from 2009 to 2015 as well as chairman of the administrative council of Tirana International Airport SHPK from 2011 to 2016.

Michael Maillis

President, German-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK)

Michael Maillis

President, German-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK)

M.J.Maillis was born in Athens and studied iron metallurgy in the PolyTechnical school Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Western Germany.

In 1973 he founded M.J.Maillis S.A. and succeeded in transforming a small-size local company into a multinational Group, in a quite demanding industrial segment.

Today, M.J.Maillis Group is a leading player in the global secondary packaging market, with production units and commercial affiliates in 20 countries in Europe and North America.

Since 2007 M.J. Maillis has been the chairman of the BoD of the Greek German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In addition, M.J. Maillis was a member of the BoD of Athens International Airport, the period from 2011 to 2013.

Today, he is also the chairman of the BoD of Maillis International S.A.

Christos Megalou

CEO, Piraeus Bank

Christos Megalou

CEO, Piraeus Bank

Mr Christos Megalou is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive board member of the Board of Directors of Piraeus Bank SA. From 2013 to 2015 he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eurobank Ergasias SA. On 2015 and 2016 he acted as a senior adviser of Fairfax Financial Holdings in Toronto and London and from May 2016 was engaged as senior adviser of Advent International in London.

Μr Megalou held senior positions at Credit Suisse Investment Banking for over 16 years in London, UK.

He was elected, for two consecutive runs, chairman of the Hellenic Bankers Association in the UK (2010-13), deputy chairman of the Hellenic Bank Association in Greece (2013-15), deputy chairman of the British-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Greece (1993-97), distinguished fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) in Washington USA (since 2016).

He graduated with a BSc of Economics from the University of Athens (1981) and holds an MBA in Finance from Aston University in Birmingham, UK (1982).

Antonis Metaxas

Managing partner, Metaxas & Associates law firm

Antonis Metaxas

M&A is a leading law firm with a dominant presence in the legal market especially in the fields of its core specialization, in particular energy, business law and EU law issues. Prof. Metaxas is chairman of the board of the Hellenic State Aid Institute (HSAI, www.stateaid.gr) and of the Hellenic Energy Regulation Institute (HERI - www.energy-regulation.eu).

Prof. Metaxas teaches EU law in the University of Athens as well as acts as visiting professor in various distinguished universities in Greece and abroad. He is regarded as most leading professional and academic in Europe in his field by all independent international legal directories (Chambers, Legal 500) and acts as senior legal adviser to a number of governments, regulatory authorities as well as major private and institutional clients.

He is author of numerous scientific publications in the fields of EU, EU state aid and energy law.

Pavlos Mylonas

CEO, National Bank of Greece

Pavlos Mylonas

CEO, National Bank of Greece

Pavlos Mylonas was appointed chief executive officer of National Bank of Greece in July 2018.

He joined NBG in 2000 and served, inter alia, as deputy CEO, CRO and head of strategy. He worked on the staff of the OECD from 1995 to 2000, and at the International Monetary Fund from 1987 to 1995. In the years 1985-1987, he was visiting assistant professor at the Department of Economics in Boston University.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics-economics (Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from Brown University, as well as a Master of Arts and a PhD in economics from Princeton University.

Stefan Nolte

President, Cyprus Germany Business Association (CGBA)

Stefan Nolte

President, Cyprus Germany Business Association (CGBA)

Stefan Nolte, main shareholder and managing directory of Shanda Consult Ltd., Nicosia Cyprus and president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, moved to Istanbul after his vocational training in Hamburg in foreign trade. After his finance studies in Istanbul, he worked in leading positions with various companies in the textile, food and food machineries industries in Turkey.

After having managed cash placements of a Bank in North Cyprus on the Interbank market in Turkey for two years, Stefan Nolte had been appointed as managing director of the European Business Bank in North Cyprus, where he served for more than six years. In 2009, he founded Shanda Consult Ltd in the Republic of Cyprus, which provides business consulting focused on cross-border industrial investments, localisation advisory and non-regulated investment advisory in Cyprus and the Middle East. During his professional engagements, Stefan Nolte worked and gathered international business experience in various countries such as Morocco, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, the UAE, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

As the president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association, together with its board, Stefan Nolte emphasizes on fostering joint activities of German and Cypriot companies, universities and other bodies in the fields of business, headquartering and production in Cyprus and research & development cooperation.

Savvas Peltekis

Managing director, TÜV HELLAS

Savvas Peltekis

Managing director, TÜV HELLAS

Mr Savvas Peltekis was born in Rethymno of Crete, in 1958, and graduated in 1981 from the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineer of NTUA

For five (5) years he had been president of HellasCert (Hellenic Association of Certification and Inspection Bodies) and for 5 years member of the board of directors of the Union.

He has been active in the field of quality since 1988, with objects of interest such as:

- Protection of the environment - ecology - green energy

- Quality management in large infrastructure construction projects

- Market supervision - healthy competition

Christos Staikouras

Former alternate minister of finance, MP, head of the economic policy sector, New Democracy

Christos Staikouras

Former alternate minister of finance, MP, head of the economic policy sector, New Democracy

Christos Staikouras was born in Lamia, Fthiotida, on 1973.

He was elected MP in Fthiotida with New Democracy political party on the election of 2007, 2009, 2012 (May and June), January 2015 and September 2015.

From October 2009 until June 2012 he was deputy head of the economic policy sector of Nea Demokratia. From June 2012 he was appointed as alternate minister of finance, and held his position until the election of January 2015. Since February 2015 he has been head of ND economic policy sector.

He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a master in business administration (MBA) from the Management School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, and a doctor’s degree (PhD in banking) from the department of banking and finance, Cass Business School, City University.

He is assistant professor in finance at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2006-now). He was part time academic staff at the Hellenic Open University (2004-07), lecturer at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2002-06), visiting professor at the Universities of Thessaly (2004), Athens (2002) and City (1999).

For a decade, he has staffed places of high responsibility in recognized financial organisations, as are Eurobank (2000-04) and the Bank of England (2000). He has published several papers in international refereed scientific journals, books and monographs and he has also participated in many scientific international conferences.

He is member of scientific and research societies and organisations.

George Stathakis

Minister of environment and energy, Greece

George Stathakis

Minister of environment and energy, Greece

George Stathakis is the current minister of environment and energy. He has previously served as minister of economy, development and tourism (September 2015-November 2016), minister of economy, infrastructure, maritime affairs and tourism (January 2015-August 2015). He has been member of the parliament with the SYRIZA party since 2012.

Mr Stathakis is professor of political economy at the University of Crete (1988-2012) and also visiting professor at the Centre of European Studies, Harvard University and at the Centre for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, City University of New York.

He has studied economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business and holds a PhD in economics from Newcastle University, UK.

Yannis Stournaras

Governor, Bank of Greece

Yannis Stournaras

Governor, Bank of Greece

Born in Athens, December 10, 1956. He graduated from the department of economics, University of Athens (1978). He obtained his post-graduate degrees (MPhil 1980, DPhil 1982) from Oxford University, where he also worked from 1981 to 1985 as a research fellow and lecturer at St. Catherine’s College and as research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Today he is professor of economics at the department of economics, University of Athens (joined 1989). From 1994 to July 2000 he was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. From 2000 to 2004 he was chairman and chief executive officer of Emporiki Bank. He served as director-general of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) (September 2009-June 2012). He was minister of finance from July 2012 until June 2014.

Since June 2014 he has been governor of the Bank of Greece.

Nicolas Theocharides

Member of the board of directors, chairman of the promotion committee of the board, Invest Cyprus

Nicolas Theocharides

Member of the board of directors, chairman of the promotion committee of the board, Invest Cyprus

Nicolas Theocharides is the CEO and managing director of the Wealth Management Boutique U.P.M. Limited which serves high net worth individuals. He is also on the board of directors of other companies and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).

He has served as a member of the board of directors of Invest Cyprus since 2011 and is the chairman of the promotion committee of the board.

A qualified banker - associate of the Institute of Financial Services of the UK, he previously held during a successful 20 year banking career, several management posts in International Business and Private Banking with one of the large local banks in Cyprus. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Russia Business Association.

Mr Theocharides is an economist and holds a BA in Economics and Law from the University of East Anglia and an MBA from CIIM and attended as a scholar at Harvard University a post Masters course on Investment Appraisal and Management. He has a special interest and training in matters of Corporate Governance.

Artemis Theodoridis

Deputy CEO, Alpha Bank

Artemis Theodoridis

Deputy CEO, Alpha Bank

He was born in 1959 in Athens.

He studied economics in the Athens University of Economics and Business and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

He is deputy CEO, responsible for non-performing loans and treasury management.

He is member of the board of directors of Alpha Bank.

Prior to joining the Alpha Bank group he worked for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in London and New York.

Volker Treier

Deputy CEO, International and European economic affairs, AHK, Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)

Volker Treier

Deputy CEO, International and European economic affairs, AHK, Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)

Dr Volker Treier, born August 6th 1969 in Creglingen, married, two children.

Since January 2014: Deputy chief executive officer – responsible for:

• International and European Economic Affairs

• The network of bi-national German Chambers, Delegations and Representations of German Industry and Commerce (AHKs) in 90 countries worldwide

Employment History:

• January 2011 to December 2013: Deputy chief executive officer and managing director International Economics Affairs

• January 2008 to December 2010: Managing Director of the DIHK division "Economic Policy", chief economist

• December 2006 to December 2007: Deputy managing director of the division professional education, education policy, association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK)

• December 2006 to December 2007: Executive of the DIHK organisation for professional education, Bonn

• January 2003 to November 2006: Head of the department for economic cycle and growth policy, analysis of the economic situation, economic-political surveys of companies as well as

• January 2003 to December 2006: Delegate for the special mission "European Political Controlling" in the DIHK

• January 1998 to December 2002: part-time assistant professor for Economics and Business Studies at the German Chamber of Commerce Oberfranken, Bayreuth

• 1990 to 2002: Studies in Economics at the Universities of Bamberg and Budapest, Doctor of Economic Sciences at the University of Bamberg, thereby scientific assistant at the chair of Finance at the University of Bamberg, project collaborator of the German Academic Exchange Service project "Internationalisation of the Curriculum in European Economics Bamberg- Budapest-Tirana-Sarajevo"

George Triantafyllou

George Triantafyllou is an executive director with Goldman Sachs in London, responsible for the Bank’s Investment Banking activities in Greece, Cyprus and South Eastern Europe.

Prior to that, George was a member of Goldman’s M&A group in New York, where he worked on a number of landmark transactions in the Energy, Power and Infrastructure sectors. George started with Goldman Sachs in London in 2007.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, George worked as an analyst for a consulting firm in Boston and New York. He holds a graduate degree in business administration (MBA) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.

Michael Tsamaz

Chairman & CEO, OTE Group of Companies

Michael Tsamaz

Chairman & CEO, OTE Group of Companies

Michael Tsamaz has been heading OTE Group, the largest telecommunications provider in Greece and SE Europe and subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG, since November 2010.

Under his leadership, OTE Group managed to streamline its financials, create new revenue streams and transform into a modern, customer centric, tech enterprise, with COSMOTE as the unified brand for its fixed, mobile, internet and TV P&S. Its healthy financials allow OTE Group to implement a comprehensive, long term investment plan in fiber optics networks, mobile NGNs, ICT and Pay TV services, advancing Greece’s infrastructure. Group strategy now focuses on its digital transformation and adaptation to the new digital era.

Since 2001, Michael Tsamaz has held several senior roles within OTE, overseeing the course of its international investments, where he reformed operations, and served as CEO & BoD member for a number of OTE & COSMOTE international subsidiaries. He also served as BoD member of EE, UK. Mr Tsamaz is also chairman of the board of Telekom Romania Communications S.A. He has been a MoB of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) since July 2016 and heads the Digital Economy Committee since November 2016. Prior to his tenure at OTE Group, he held high ranking positions in marketing, sales & general management for multinational companies such as Vodafone and Philip Morris.

Mr Tsamaz holds a degree in business administration from the University of New Brunswick, Canada.

George Tziallas

Secretary-general for tourism policy and development, Ministry of Tourism, Greece

George Tziallas

Secretary-general for tourism policy and development, Ministry of Tourism, Greece

George Tziallas has been the secretary-general for tourism policy and development in the Ministry of Tourism in Greece, since September 2015. He holds a diploma in civil engineering from the University of Patras, Greece and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning (M.Sc.) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, USA.

He has a twenty-five year professional experience in management consulting, specializing in the fields of planning, local and regional development, tourism development and planning, as well as in the management, monitoring and evaluation of EU programmes and projects of the CSFs and NSRF 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 in Greece and the EU. George has worked in senior positions (general manager, senior expert) in management consulting firms in the private sector for more than twenty years, and was a member of the board of directors of the Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms (SESMA). He has extensive experience in urban/regional planning and in strategic planning and has participated as expert in the implementation of studies in the fields of local and regional development, tourism development and planning, employment and labor market, economic development, education and training in Greece and abroad.

He has been the project manager/coordinator of large-scale technical assistance projects at national and EU level. He has gained good knowledge of the procedures in the Greek public administration, as well as of the EU Structural Funds context and the EU-funded Operational Programmes. Also, he has very strong experience in operational and strategic design, as well as in business process re-engineering and in ICT projects.

Hubert Vannier

Head of financial institutions group for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Deutsche Bank

Hubert Vannier

Head of financial institutions group for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Deutsche Bank

Hubert Vannier is a managing director at Deutsche Bank, responsible for M&A for financial institutions in Europe, Middle East & Africa. He has over 25 years of corporate finance experience, starting in the M&A department of Bankers Trust and then Deutsche Bank.

He advised the Greek Government in 2010 in the review of the banking sector and in 2012 in designing the banking recapitalisation framework. In 2013, he advised (a) Eurobank in relation to NBG’s tender offer, its €5.8bn recapitalisation and the acquisitions of Hellenic Postbank and Proton Bank, and (b) Piraeus in relation to the acquisitions of the Greek operations of Cypriot banks and Millennium Bank and to its €8.4bn recapitalisation. In 2014, he led equity raisings by Piraeus Bank (€1,750m), Eurobank (€2,864m) and BCP (€2,250m). He later advised Banco Espirito Santo in the context of its resolution and then Novo Banco. In 2015 he assisted Piraeus Bank in its €4.9bn recapitalisation. He is currently advising Banco de Portugal on the sale of Novo Banco.

He holds an MBA from Wharton School of Business, an MA in international studies with a concentration on Brazil from Lauder Institute and an engineering degree from Ecole des Mines de Paris.

Guy Verhofstadt

Chair, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, Brexit coordinator and chair, Brexit Steering Group, European Parliament

Guy Verhofstadt

Chair, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, Brexit coordinator and chair, Brexit Steering Group, European Parliament

Guy Verhofstadt is one of Europe's most experienced leaders and is currently the leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the centrist-liberal grouping in the European parliament. He is also the former prime minister of Belgium. Guy argues for reform to the EU so that it focuses much more on the key problems facing both Europe and the world - the economic crisis, crime, the disparity between rich and poor, and other key political issues.
Guy Verhofstadt became president of the Flemish Liberal Student's Union (1972-1974) while studying law in Ghent. He began his political career as a Ghent city councilor in 1976. In 1982, at the age of 29, he became president of the PVV, the Flemish Liberal Party. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies - the lower house of Belgian's Federal Parliament - in 1985, and he served as deputy prime minister and minister of budget and scientific research until 1988. Prime minister Verhofstadt led the transformation of the PVV into the VLD, the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, in 1992, and was elected to the Belgian Senate three years later. In this role, he served as rapporteur for the Senate’s commission on the Rwandan genocide.

Oliver Wittke

Oliver Wittke

Oliver Wittke was born on September 24th 1966 in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia.

He has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2013.

Background

Since 14 March 2018: Parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

2010-12: Secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of North Rhine-Westphalia

2009-10: Member of the management board of Hellmich-Gruppe in Duisburg

2005-09: Head of the cabinet department for building and transport of North Rhine-Westphalia

2005: Marketing director of Montan-Grundstücksgesellschaft

1999-2004: Mayor of Gelsenkirchen

1994–99: Project assistant at a development agency

Until 1994: Degree in economics and geography, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

In his capacity as parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Oliver Wittke is acting as a political representative of the federal minister, in particular vis-à-vis the Bundestag and the parliamentary groups.

Αris Xenofos

Executive chairman, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Αris Xenofos

Executive chairman, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Aris Xenofos is the executive chairman of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

He was born in 1963. He has professional experience of many years in the financial sector and fund management. He has served as deputy general manager at Alpha Asset MFMC (Greece) and chief executive officer at Eurobank Asset MFMC (Greece). Internationally, Mr Xenofos has served as chairman at Eurobank FMC SA in Luxembourg and chairman at EFG Eurobank MFMC SAI SA in Romania. In 2015 he took over the position of the chief executive officer of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) and successfully concluded the 3rd recapitalization of the Greek banking sector. He joined HRADF in November 2017 and he was appointed chairman of the BoD. He has also served as a member in a number of executive committees of Eurobank, as the chairman of the Hellenic Fund and Asset Management Association (HFAMA) and as a member of the BoD of Athens Stock Exchange.

Mr Xenofos holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in economics, with Honors, from Athens University of Economics and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Alexander Zinell

Chief executive officer, Fraport Greece

Alexander Zinell

Chief executive officer, Fraport Greece

Alexander Zinell was appointed chief executive officer of Fraport Greece on July 1st 2016. The company holds concessions to operate 14 Greek airports (27.5 million passengers in 2017) over a 40-year term.

Prior to his recent assignment, Alexander Zinell was in charge of global investments and management at Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt Airport. As senior executive vice-president he managed and developed the portfolio of Fraport’s international airport investments. He chaired the supervisory boards of Fraport affiliates in Antalya, St. Petersburg, Varna and Burgas. Between 2004 and 2009 Alexander Zinell was general manager of Antalya Airport. He has also served as CFO for a Fraport affiliate in Orlando, USA.

Alexander Zinell holds degrees in business administration from the University of Cologne and HEC in Paris.

Agenda

Registration and refreshments

THE ECONOMIST’S FORECAST ON EU AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews

Consultant editor, The Economist

John Andrews was born in Birmingham, England.

Education
King Edward’s School, Birmingham, Pembroke College, Cambridge University (BA and MA in classical and modern Arabic), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of London (Institute of Education)

Career
Until moving back to London in November 2006, John Andrews was The Economist’s most experienced foreign correspondent.
In a 24-year career that included positions in London as industry editor and Asia editor, his foreign postings have ranged from Singapore and Hong Kong to Brussels, Washington DC, Paris and finally Los Angeles. Before joining The Economist, Andrews spent six years with the Guardian and led the paper’s coverage of OPEC during its 1979–82 heyday. He came to the Guardian after living for seven years in the Arab world, first as an academic in Libya and Lebanon and then as a journalist. Working for NBC News he covered the Middle East peace–shuttle of Henry Kissinger and the first year of the Lebanese civil war. As a resident of the region and subsequently as a visitor, he interviewed personalities such as Muammar Gadhafy, Yasser Arafat and Ezer Weitzman.

Publications
John Andrews has written two books on Asia, co-authored a book on Europe and contributed chapters to other books, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A recent book was The Economist Book of Isms. His new book, The World in Conflict, examines war and conflict around the world. His special reports in The Economist, have covered subjects as diverse as civil aerospace, the European Union and the world of sport.

Languages
English, French, Arabic

Michael Maillis

President, German-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK)

Michael Maillis

President, German-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK)

M.J.Maillis was born in Athens and studied iron metallurgy in the PolyTechnical school Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Western Germany.

In 1973 he founded M.J.Maillis S.A. and succeeded in transforming a small-size local company into a multinational Group, in a quite demanding industrial segment.

Today, M.J.Maillis Group is a leading player in the global secondary packaging market, with production units and commercial affiliates in 20 countries in Europe and North America.

Since 2007 M.J. Maillis has been the chairman of the BoD of the Greek German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In addition, M.J. Maillis was a member of the BoD of Athens International Airport, the period from 2011 to 2013.

Today, he is also the chairman of the BoD of Maillis International S.A.

Oliver Wittke

Oliver Wittke

Oliver Wittke was born on September 24th 1966 in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia.

He has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2013.

Background

Since 14 March 2018: Parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

2010-12: Secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of North Rhine-Westphalia

2009-10: Member of the management board of Hellmich-Gruppe in Duisburg

2005-09: Head of the cabinet department for building and transport of North Rhine-Westphalia

2005: Marketing director of Montan-Grundstücksgesellschaft

1999-2004: Mayor of Gelsenkirchen

1994–99: Project assistant at a development agency

Until 1994: Degree in economics and geography, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

In his capacity as parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Oliver Wittke is acting as a political representative of the federal minister, in particular vis-à-vis the Bundestag and the parliamentary groups.

George Stathakis

Minister of environment and energy, Greece

George Stathakis

Minister of environment and energy, Greece

George Stathakis is the current minister of environment and energy. He has previously served as minister of economy, development and tourism (September 2015-November 2016), minister of economy, infrastructure, maritime affairs and tourism (January 2015-August 2015). He has been member of the parliament with the SYRIZA party since 2012.

Mr Stathakis is professor of political economy at the University of Crete (1988-2012) and also visiting professor at the Centre of European Studies, Harvard University and at the Centre for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, City University of New York.

He has studied economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business and holds a PhD in economics from Newcastle University, UK.

Guy Verhofstadt

Chair, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, Brexit coordinator and chair, Brexit Steering Group, European Parliament

Guy Verhofstadt

Chair, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, Brexit coordinator and chair, Brexit Steering Group, European Parliament

Guy Verhofstadt is one of Europe's most experienced leaders and is currently the leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the centrist-liberal grouping in the European parliament. He is also the former prime minister of Belgium. Guy argues for reform to the EU so that it focuses much more on the key problems facing both Europe and the world - the economic crisis, crime, the disparity between rich and poor, and other key political issues.
Guy Verhofstadt became president of the Flemish Liberal Student's Union (1972-1974) while studying law in Ghent. He began his political career as a Ghent city councilor in 1976. In 1982, at the age of 29, he became president of the PVV, the Flemish Liberal Party. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies - the lower house of Belgian's Federal Parliament - in 1985, and he served as deputy prime minister and minister of budget and scientific research until 1988. Prime minister Verhofstadt led the transformation of the PVV into the VLD, the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, in 1992, and was elected to the Belgian Senate three years later. In this role, he served as rapporteur for the Senate’s commission on the Rwandan genocide.

9:30 AM

Discussion

9:50 AM

STRENGTHENING BUSINESS & INVESTMENT TIES

The business perspective

Dieter Kempf

President, Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Dieter Kempf

President, Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Dieter Kempf was born in Munich in 1953.

After studying business administration from 1973 to 1978 in Munich, he worked at Arthur & Young (now Ernst & Young) from 1978 to 1991, becoming a partner in 1989.

He then joined Datev in Nuremberg in 1991 as a board member, responsible for product and software development. From 1992 onwards, he served as deputy chairman of the board. In 1996, he became chairman, a position he held until March 2016. During Kempf’s time at Datev, the company grew to one of Europe’s largest IT service providers.

From 2011 to 2015, Kempf served as president of BDI’s member association Bitkom (Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media). During this time, he was also vice-president of the BDI.

Dieter Kempf was unanimously elected president of BDI as of January 2017.

In addition, Kempf serves on various supervisory boards and advisory boards. He was made honorary professor of Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2005.

Margarita Antoniou

Member of the board, Enterprise Greece, head, directorate of international organizations, Ministry of Economy & Development, Greece

Margarita Antoniou

Member of the board, Enterprise Greece, head, directorate of international organizations, Ministry of Economy & Development, Greece

Antoniou Margarita is a chemical engineer (Intergraded master), of the Greek National Polytechnic School of Athens.

She has five years’ experience in the private sector (processing industries and projects on environmental issues). Since 1985 she has been a public servant in the Hellenic Ministry of Economy & Development. She has seven years experience in control and evaluation of private investments, two years on ministerial strategic planning, ten years on European support framework and programmes (Central Managing Authority and Sectoral Managing Authority), 11 years in the directorate for international economic organisations and bilateral cooperation on trade and investment (member of the advisory group of non-member countries of the OECD investment committee, 2 years experience as a member of the Group Financier of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, reports on trade and investment issues for specific countries, ad hoc studies on specific issues concerning international cooperation etc), head of the independent unit for the review of strategic & private investment.

Now she serves as the head of the directorate for international organizations and a member of the Governing Board of Enterprise Greece Organisation. She is involved in the Greek - German Action plan and she has close cooperation with GIZ on the project of export promotion. Member for 7 years as an expert of the ad hoc committee in the Technical Chamber of Greece for the CSF and for development issues and a member of a voluntary team of the training engineer Centre with activities related implementation in development issues more than 20 events in the last 6 years.

She was born in Athens in 1957 and she is married with two children.

Theodore Fessas

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Greece

Theodore Fessas

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Greece

The chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Mr Theodore Fessas, is the chairman, major shareholder and founder of Quest Holdings.

Quest Holdings, established in 1981 (as Info-Quest), is listed in Athens Stock Exchange since 1998 and owns leading Greek companies in the sectors of information technology, payment transactions, parcel delivery and renewable energy, with a consolidated annual turnover more than €400 m.

Mr Fessas has been the chairman of SEV since May 2014, after he has served for many years as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee. He is the honorary president of the Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises (SEPE) and member of the Boards of Directors of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC-Hellas) and the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE).

He holds a mechanical & electrical engineering diploma from the National Technical University of Athens and a MSc in Thermodynamics from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Volker Treier

Deputy CEO, International and European economic affairs, AHK, Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)

Volker Treier

Deputy CEO, International and European economic affairs, AHK, Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)

Dr Volker Treier, born August 6th 1969 in Creglingen, married, two children.

Since January 2014: Deputy chief executive officer – responsible for:

• International and European Economic Affairs

• The network of bi-national German Chambers, Delegations and Representations of German Industry and Commerce (AHKs) in 90 countries worldwide

Employment History:

• January 2011 to December 2013: Deputy chief executive officer and managing director International Economics Affairs

• January 2008 to December 2010: Managing Director of the DIHK division "Economic Policy", chief economist

• December 2006 to December 2007: Deputy managing director of the division professional education, education policy, association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK)

• December 2006 to December 2007: Executive of the DIHK organisation for professional education, Bonn

• January 2003 to November 2006: Head of the department for economic cycle and growth policy, analysis of the economic situation, economic-political surveys of companies as well as

• January 2003 to December 2006: Delegate for the special mission "European Political Controlling" in the DIHK

• January 1998 to December 2002: part-time assistant professor for Economics and Business Studies at the German Chamber of Commerce Oberfranken, Bayreuth

• 1990 to 2002: Studies in Economics at the Universities of Bamberg and Budapest, Doctor of Economic Sciences at the University of Bamberg, thereby scientific assistant at the chair of Finance at the University of Bamberg, project collaborator of the German Academic Exchange Service project "Internationalisation of the Curriculum in European Economics Bamberg- Budapest-Tirana-Sarajevo"

10:20 AM

Discussion

10:40 AM

WHAT LIES IN STORE FOR THE EUROZONE?

An assessment of the Greek bailout programmes: Has EU become wiser?

Yannis Stournaras

Governor, Bank of Greece

Yannis Stournaras

Governor, Bank of Greece

Born in Athens, December 10, 1956. He graduated from the department of economics, University of Athens (1978). He obtained his post-graduate degrees (MPhil 1980, DPhil 1982) from Oxford University, where he also worked from 1981 to 1985 as a research fellow and lecturer at St. Catherine’s College and as research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Today he is professor of economics at the department of economics, University of Athens (joined 1989). From 1994 to July 2000 he was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. From 2000 to 2004 he was chairman and chief executive officer of Emporiki Bank. He served as director-general of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) (September 2009-June 2012). He was minister of finance from July 2012 until June 2014.

Since June 2014 he has been governor of the Bank of Greece.

10:55 AM

Discussion

11:10 AM

Coffee break

11:40 AM

THE GREEK ECONOMY: CURRENT STATE, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Christos Staikouras

Former alternate minister of finance, MP, head of the economic policy sector, New Democracy

Christos Staikouras

Former alternate minister of finance, MP, head of the economic policy sector, New Democracy

Christos Staikouras was born in Lamia, Fthiotida, on 1973.

He was elected MP in Fthiotida with New Democracy political party on the election of 2007, 2009, 2012 (May and June), January 2015 and September 2015.

From October 2009 until June 2012 he was deputy head of the economic policy sector of Nea Demokratia. From June 2012 he was appointed as alternate minister of finance, and held his position until the election of January 2015. Since February 2015 he has been head of ND economic policy sector.

He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a master in business administration (MBA) from the Management School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, and a doctor’s degree (PhD in banking) from the department of banking and finance, Cass Business School, City University.

He is assistant professor in finance at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2006-now). He was part time academic staff at the Hellenic Open University (2004-07), lecturer at the Athens University of Economics and Business (2002-06), visiting professor at the Universities of Thessaly (2004), Athens (2002) and City (1999).

For a decade, he has staffed places of high responsibility in recognized financial organisations, as are Eurobank (2000-04) and the Bank of England (2000). He has published several papers in international refereed scientific journals, books and monographs and he has also participated in many scientific international conferences.

He is member of scientific and research societies and organisations.

11:50 AM

Discussion

12:00 PM

THE SOUTH-EAST EUROPEAN FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR AFTER THE CRISIS

NPLs: Have we done enough to tackle the threat?

Brexit’s implications

Is the banking sector providing sufficient liquidity to business?

The Greek capital markets after the bail0ut: What should we expect?

The credit rating agencies’ viewpoint

Hubert Vannier

Head of financial institutions group for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Deutsche Bank

Hubert Vannier

Head of financial institutions group for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Deutsche Bank

Hubert Vannier is a managing director at Deutsche Bank, responsible for M&A for financial institutions in Europe, Middle East & Africa. He has over 25 years of corporate finance experience, starting in the M&A department of Bankers Trust and then Deutsche Bank.

He advised the Greek Government in 2010 in the review of the banking sector and in 2012 in designing the banking recapitalisation framework. In 2013, he advised (a) Eurobank in relation to NBG’s tender offer, its €5.8bn recapitalisation and the acquisitions of Hellenic Postbank and Proton Bank, and (b) Piraeus in relation to the acquisitions of the Greek operations of Cypriot banks and Millennium Bank and to its €8.4bn recapitalisation. In 2014, he led equity raisings by Piraeus Bank (€1,750m), Eurobank (€2,864m) and BCP (€2,250m). He later advised Banco Espirito Santo in the context of its resolution and then Novo Banco. In 2015 he assisted Piraeus Bank in its €4.9bn recapitalisation. He is currently advising Banco de Portugal on the sale of Novo Banco.

He holds an MBA from Wharton School of Business, an MA in international studies with a concentration on Brazil from Lauder Institute and an engineering degree from Ecole des Mines de Paris.

George Triantafyllou

George Triantafyllou is an executive director with Goldman Sachs in London, responsible for the Bank’s Investment Banking activities in Greece, Cyprus and South Eastern Europe.

Prior to that, George was a member of Goldman’s M&A group in New York, where he worked on a number of landmark transactions in the Energy, Power and Infrastructure sectors. George started with Goldman Sachs in London in 2007.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, George worked as an analyst for a consulting firm in Boston and New York. He holds a graduate degree in business administration (MBA) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.

He is also chairman of the board of the Stock Markets Steering Committee, member of the board of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, vice-chairman of the Hellenic Corporate Governance Council and member of the Board of the American - Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.

He joined the Athens Exchange Group in 1994 and held several positions at the central securities depository, the "Systems Development and Support of Capital Market" (ASYK SA) and the Athens Exchange, while he also served as member of the board at Athens Derivatives Exchange and the Athens Derivatives Exchange Clearing House. He was also member of the board of the LinkUp Markets and of the Federation of the European Securities Exchanges (FESE).

Born in Athens in 1962, he studied economics at the department of economics in Athens University and continued his studies for an MSc (Econ) at Queen Mary College of London.

Colin Ellis

Colin Ellis

Colin Ellis is Moody’s chief credit officer in EMEA, and a managing director in the Credit Strategy team. He is responsible for identifying and analyzing the broad macro and credit trends, and leading and coordinating Moody’s ratings approach, across franchises in the region. He is also a member of Moody’s Macroeconomic Board, which sets the global forecasts that underpin Moody’s universe of ratings.

Colin joined Moody’s in February 2012, initially leading the work of the Macroeconomic Board and authoring the quarterly Global Macro Outlook. He subsequently worked in the Financial Institutions Group, developing quantitative forward-looking analyses of sectors and institutions, including modelling asset trends and stress testing.

Previously Colin has worked at the Bank of England, Daiwa Capital Markets and the BVCA. Colin is a Visiting Research Fellow in the economics department at Birmingham University, and has published on topics ranging from investment and pricing to private equity and data uncertainty. He is also a Fellow of the RSA.

Colin holds degrees from York University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Middlesex University. He is based in London.

12:30 PM

Discussion

12:50 PM

GERMANY – SOUTH-EAST EUROPE: MOVING FORWARD ON LARGE SCALE PROJECTS

Infrastructure, transportation and large-scale projects

Prospects for renewable energy sources

The energy landscape in SE Europe and east Mediterranean

Developments on the tourism industry

George Tziallas

Secretary-general for tourism policy and development, Ministry of Tourism, Greece

George Tziallas

Secretary-general for tourism policy and development, Ministry of Tourism, Greece

George Tziallas has been the secretary-general for tourism policy and development in the Ministry of Tourism in Greece, since September 2015. He holds a diploma in civil engineering from the University of Patras, Greece and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning (M.Sc.) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, USA.

He has a twenty-five year professional experience in management consulting, specializing in the fields of planning, local and regional development, tourism development and planning, as well as in the management, monitoring and evaluation of EU programmes and projects of the CSFs and NSRF 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 in Greece and the EU. George has worked in senior positions (general manager, senior expert) in management consulting firms in the private sector for more than twenty years, and was a member of the board of directors of the Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms (SESMA). He has extensive experience in urban/regional planning and in strategic planning and has participated as expert in the implementation of studies in the fields of local and regional development, tourism development and planning, employment and labor market, economic development, education and training in Greece and abroad.

He has been the project manager/coordinator of large-scale technical assistance projects at national and EU level. He has gained good knowledge of the procedures in the Greek public administration, as well as of the EU Structural Funds context and the EU-funded Operational Programmes. Also, he has very strong experience in operational and strategic design, as well as in business process re-engineering and in ICT projects.

Sabina Dziurman

Director, regional head of Greece and Cyprus, EBRD

Sabina Dziurman

Director, regional head of Greece and Cyprus, EBRD

Ms Dziurman started working in Greece in 1979 in the tourism sector - she changed career following an MBA.

Her first contract with the EBRD was in 1991 where she set up a training course for privatisation officials in St Petersburg, Russia before becoming an expert for the development of viable commercial banking sectors in countries of the former Soviet Union. She spent 12 years as a freelance consultant focussing on banking and SME credit lines, mainly for EBRD but also for organisations such as DFID and World Bank in; Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2004, she became a staff member of EBRD, initially joining the Group for Small Business and later the Financial Institutions Group which provides equity and a range of debt products to 350 partner institutions across EBRD’s countries of operations. She successfully led landmark transactions such as the rescue of Latvia’s Parex Bank and the EBRD’s first investment in Cyprus in the Bank of Cyprus.

Sabina was appointed director for Greece and Cyprus at EBRD in July 2015 and has been based in Athens since September of that year.

Ms Dziurman, a British citizen, was educated at London University and London Business School.

Peter Droege

President, European Association for Renewable Energy (EUROSOLAR)

Peter Droege

President, European Association for Renewable Energy (EUROSOLAR)

Peter Droege directs the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development, the global advisory and research organization for the rapid transition to regenerative communities, cities, regions and infrastructure. Professor Droege serves also as president of Eurosolar, the European Association for Renewable Energy, and as general chairman, World Council for Renewable Energy.

A recipient of the European Solar Prize in education, Peter Droege initiated the Chair for Sustainable Spatial Development at the University of Liechtenstein while holding a Conjoint Professorship at the Faculty of Engineering, School of Architecure and the Built Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia. An inaugural member of the Zayed Future Energy Prize jury and expert commissioner for cities and climate change for the World Future Council he also served on the steering committee of the Urban Climate Change Research Network hosted at Columbia University's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and CUNY. He has taught and researched at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Architecture and Planning, at Tokyo University as endowed chair in urban engineering at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, and as Lend Lease Chair of Urban Design at the University of Sydney.

Dimitrios Dimitriou

Associate professor, dept. of economics, Democritus University of Thrace, chairman of the BoD, Athens International Airport (AIA)

Dimitrios Dimitriou

Associate professor, dept. of economics, Democritus University of Thrace, chairman of the BoD, Athens International Airport (AIA)

Dimitrios Dimitriou educational background includes Doctorate (PhD) in econometric modelling for quantitative air transport forecasting, MSc in airport planning and management, MSc in infrastructures environmental management, and Diploma (equivalent to 4 years BA and 1-year MSc) in civil engineering (transportation sector). His 22 years’ professional experience shared on 3 pillars of activities: education, research and management. His specialisation focuses on planning, management and economics in transport, providing dedicated expertise in air transport sector.

He is associate professor in the department of economics, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTh), Greece, while he has contributed in many Greek and European Universities, providing education and training for more than 20 years in graduate and postgraduate programmes. His contribution outputs include more than 200 papers and presentations in international events, peer review referred journals and conferences, publications in international and national congress and workshops. Also, he has contributed in more than 20 research projects and he contributes in many scientific journals editions, editorial boards, scientific committees in international conferences and scientific missions.

Dimitrios professional truck record includes the occupation of executive management positions in sector of transports and he delivered dedicated studies and consulting in a variety of infrastructure projects in the fields of transport economics and large transport projects-investments appraisal, promoting a strong international profile in management, business economics, project financing, and risk management in transportation sector.

He is chairman of the board of directors (2016-date) at Athens International Airport and member of the board of directors since 2015. He was chairman of the board and chief executive officer in Athens Transports Organisation (3 years/2010-2012). Also, he is member of international expert and management committees in international associations and professional bodies (UN, UNECE etc.). His professional achievements and experience has been acknowledged nationally and internationally, and for 2018 he awarded by the Professional Achievement Award (2017/2018) in Greece by the British Council for the Study UK Alumni awards.

Antonis Metaxas

Managing partner, Metaxas & Associates law firm

Antonis Metaxas

M&A is a leading law firm with a dominant presence in the legal market especially in the fields of its core specialization, in particular energy, business law and EU law issues. Prof. Metaxas is chairman of the board of the Hellenic State Aid Institute (HSAI, www.stateaid.gr) and of the Hellenic Energy Regulation Institute (HERI - www.energy-regulation.eu).

Prof. Metaxas teaches EU law in the University of Athens as well as acts as visiting professor in various distinguished universities in Greece and abroad. He is regarded as most leading professional and academic in Europe in his field by all independent international legal directories (Chambers, Legal 500) and acts as senior legal adviser to a number of governments, regulatory authorities as well as major private and institutional clients.

He is author of numerous scientific publications in the fields of EU, EU state aid and energy law.

Discussion

Networking luncheon

Debating on the post crisis opportunities with emphasis on funding the economy, digitalisation, liquidity and effective NPLs management

Nikolaos Karamouzis

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Bank Association

Nikolaos Karamouzis

Chairman of the board of directors, Hellenic Bank Association

Mr Nikolaos Karamouzis is the chairman of the board of directors of Eurobank Ergasias S.A. and chairman of the board of directors of the Hellenic Bank Association (HBA).

At Eurobank Ergasias S.A., he is also the chairman of the strategic planning committee and member of the risk committee and of the nomination committee. He is member of the Bank’s Legal Council and BoD member of Eurobank Cyprus Ltd.

He holds the positions of vice-chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), chairman of the Hellenic advisory board, South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), St Antony’s College, Oxford University, member of the advisory board of diaNEOsis, vice-president of A.D.R. PROMOTION ORGANISATION – ADRO, member of the BoD of Onassis Foundation, member of the board, Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (I.O.B.E.), member of the advisory board of the Humanitarian Organisation “Apostoli” by the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.

He has served as CEO of GENIKI Bank, and adviser to the management and member of the strategic planning committee of Piraeus Bank Group, deputy CEO of Eurobank group for 14 years, in charge of Wholesale Banking activities, deputy governor, National Bank of Greece, chairman, Hellenic Investment Company, deputy governor, Hellenic Bank of Industrial Development, director, Foreign Exchange Division of Bank of Greece and adviser, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (USA).

He holds the position of emeritus professor, University of Piraeus in Greece.

He holds a bachelor degree in economics, University of Piraeus, master degree in economics, American University, USA and Ph.D. in economics with specialization in monetary policy and international finance, Pennsylvania State University, USA.

Christos Megalou

CEO, Piraeus Bank

Christos Megalou

CEO, Piraeus Bank

Mr Christos Megalou is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive board member of the Board of Directors of Piraeus Bank SA. From 2013 to 2015 he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eurobank Ergasias SA. On 2015 and 2016 he acted as a senior adviser of Fairfax Financial Holdings in Toronto and London and from May 2016 was engaged as senior adviser of Advent International in London.

Μr Megalou held senior positions at Credit Suisse Investment Banking for over 16 years in London, UK.

He was elected, for two consecutive runs, chairman of the Hellenic Bankers Association in the UK (2010-13), deputy chairman of the Hellenic Bank Association in Greece (2013-15), deputy chairman of the British-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Greece (1993-97), distinguished fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) in Washington USA (since 2016).

He graduated with a BSc of Economics from the University of Athens (1981) and holds an MBA in Finance from Aston University in Birmingham, UK (1982).

Pavlos Mylonas

CEO, National Bank of Greece

Pavlos Mylonas

CEO, National Bank of Greece

Pavlos Mylonas was appointed chief executive officer of National Bank of Greece in July 2018.

He joined NBG in 2000 and served, inter alia, as deputy CEO, CRO and head of strategy. He worked on the staff of the OECD from 1995 to 2000, and at the International Monetary Fund from 1987 to 1995. In the years 1985-1987, he was visiting assistant professor at the Department of Economics in Boston University.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics-economics (Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from Brown University, as well as a Master of Arts and a PhD in economics from Princeton University.

Theodore Kalantonis

Deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors, Eurobank Ergasias

Theodore Kalantonis

Deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors, Eurobank Ergasias

Mr Theodore Kalantonis is deputy CEO and executive member of the board of directors of Eurobank Ergasias S.A., head of Troubled Assets Group.
He is the chairman of the board of directors of Eurobank FPS Loans and Credit Management S.A., vice-chairman of ERB Insurance Services S.A. and vice-chairman, non-executive, of Eurolife ERB Insurance Group Holdings.

He has served as head of Retail Banking at Eurobank (2014-16) and as executive general manager responsible for the retail banking for performing & non-performing loans, the digital banking and the international retail at Alpha Bank (2013-14). He has also served as head of household lending & managing director of Eurobank Cards S.A. (2009-13) and as head of the mortgage lending business at Eurobank (2000-09). He has also worked in the past in managerial positions at Batelle Europe, ABN AMRO Bank, as well as at American Express Bank.

He holds a bachelor degree in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Athens as well as an MBA from the Manchester Business School. Born in Stefania Lakonias, Greece, in 1962.

Artemis Theodoridis

Deputy CEO, Alpha Bank

Artemis Theodoridis

Deputy CEO, Alpha Bank

He was born in 1959 in Athens.

He studied economics in the Athens University of Economics and Business and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

He is deputy CEO, responsible for non-performing loans and treasury management.

He is member of the board of directors of Alpha Bank.

Prior to joining the Alpha Bank group he worked for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in London and New York.

Riccardo Lambiris

Chief executive officer & member of the board of directors, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Riccardo Lambiris

Chief executive officer & member of the board of directors, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Riccardo Lambiris was born in 1975. He studied electronic engineering at the University of Sussex and has obtained a MSc postgraduate degree in project management from the University of Birmingham. He has also obtained an MSc in international trade, transport and finance from City University in the United Kingdom.

He has worked at Rockwell Golde and has a long experience in business and investment banking, covering both the markets of Greece and of south-east Europe, in organisations such as EFG Telesis Finance and HSBC Bank plc. From 2006, amongst others, he served as the head of the department of mergers & acquisitions of HSBC Bank plc for Greece and Cyprus, with emphasis in privatisations.

Αris Xenofos

Executive chairman, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Αris Xenofos

Executive chairman, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Aris Xenofos is the executive chairman of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

He was born in 1963. He has professional experience of many years in the financial sector and fund management. He has served as deputy general manager at Alpha Asset MFMC (Greece) and chief executive officer at Eurobank Asset MFMC (Greece). Internationally, Mr Xenofos has served as chairman at Eurobank FMC SA in Luxembourg and chairman at EFG Eurobank MFMC SAI SA in Romania. In 2015 he took over the position of the chief executive officer of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) and successfully concluded the 3rd recapitalization of the Greek banking sector. He joined HRADF in November 2017 and he was appointed chairman of the BoD. He has also served as a member in a number of executive committees of Eurobank, as the chairman of the Hellenic Fund and Asset Management Association (HFAMA) and as a member of the BoD of Athens Stock Exchange.

Mr Xenofos holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in economics, with Honors, from Athens University of Economics and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Michael Tsamaz

Chairman & CEO, OTE Group of Companies

Michael Tsamaz

Chairman & CEO, OTE Group of Companies

Michael Tsamaz has been heading OTE Group, the largest telecommunications provider in Greece and SE Europe and subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG, since November 2010.

Under his leadership, OTE Group managed to streamline its financials, create new revenue streams and transform into a modern, customer centric, tech enterprise, with COSMOTE as the unified brand for its fixed, mobile, internet and TV P&S. Its healthy financials allow OTE Group to implement a comprehensive, long term investment plan in fiber optics networks, mobile NGNs, ICT and Pay TV services, advancing Greece’s infrastructure. Group strategy now focuses on its digital transformation and adaptation to the new digital era.

Since 2001, Michael Tsamaz has held several senior roles within OTE, overseeing the course of its international investments, where he reformed operations, and served as CEO & BoD member for a number of OTE & COSMOTE international subsidiaries. He also served as BoD member of EE, UK. Mr Tsamaz is also chairman of the board of Telekom Romania Communications S.A. He has been a MoB of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) since July 2016 and heads the Digital Economy Committee since November 2016. Prior to his tenure at OTE Group, he held high ranking positions in marketing, sales & general management for multinational companies such as Vodafone and Philip Morris.

Mr Tsamaz holds a degree in business administration from the University of New Brunswick, Canada.

Nicholas Exarchos

Head of corporate finance for Greece & Cyprus, Deutsche Bank

Nicholas Exarchos

Head of corporate finance for Greece & Cyprus, Deutsche Bank

Nicholas is head of corporate finance for Greece and Cyprus.

During his 25-year career in banking, Nicholas has been a trusted adviser to financial institutions, major corporates as well as the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus. He has led numerous transactions involving debt issuance for sovereigns and corporates, structured finance and project finance.

Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Nicholas was head of Greek DCM at Credit Suisse and head of Greece at J Henry Schroder.

He holds an MSc degree in management science from Imperial College London.

Holger Linkweiler

Managing director, AviAlliance, AviAlliance Capital

Holger Linkweiler

Managing director, AviAlliance, AviAlliance Capital

Holger Linkweiler is managing director of AviAlliance and AviAlliance Capital. Furthermore, he is vice-chairman of the board of directors of Athens International Airport S.A. In addition, he is a member of the supervisory board of Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH as well as member of the operating board of Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC (San Juan Airport). Within AviAlliance, he oversees aviation, investments & financing, legal, mergers & acquisitions as well as technical services. Furthermore, he heads the asset management of Athens Airport.

Holger is a co-founder of AviAlliance (formerly HOCHTIEF AirPort) and AviAlliance Capital (formerly HOCHTIEF AirPort Capital), established in 1997 respectively 2005. He also managed the acquisitions of the airports in Budapest and Sydney. He was a member of the board of directors of Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd. from 2002 to 2013 and of the board of directors of Budapest Airport Zrt. from 2007 to 2015. Furthermore, Holger was a member of the supervisory board of Flughafen Hamburg GmbH from 2009 to 2015 as well as chairman of the administrative council of Tirana International Airport SHPK from 2011 to 2016.

Alexander Zinell

Chief executive officer, Fraport Greece

Alexander Zinell

Chief executive officer, Fraport Greece

Alexander Zinell was appointed chief executive officer of Fraport Greece on July 1st 2016. The company holds concessions to operate 14 Greek airports (27.5 million passengers in 2017) over a 40-year term.

Prior to his recent assignment, Alexander Zinell was in charge of global investments and management at Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt Airport. As senior executive vice-president he managed and developed the portfolio of Fraport’s international airport investments. He chaired the supervisory boards of Fraport affiliates in Antalya, St. Petersburg, Varna and Burgas. Between 2004 and 2009 Alexander Zinell was general manager of Antalya Airport. He has also served as CFO for a Fraport affiliate in Orlando, USA.

Alexander Zinell holds degrees in business administration from the University of Cologne and HEC in Paris.

4:30 PM

Discussion

4:45 PM

GREEK – GERMAN – CYPRIOT COLLABORATION IN TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Funding and financing of innovation in Greece and Cyprus

Stefan Nolte

President, Cyprus Germany Business Association (CGBA)

Stefan Nolte

President, Cyprus Germany Business Association (CGBA)

Stefan Nolte, main shareholder and managing directory of Shanda Consult Ltd., Nicosia Cyprus and president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, moved to Istanbul after his vocational training in Hamburg in foreign trade. After his finance studies in Istanbul, he worked in leading positions with various companies in the textile, food and food machineries industries in Turkey.

After having managed cash placements of a Bank in North Cyprus on the Interbank market in Turkey for two years, Stefan Nolte had been appointed as managing director of the European Business Bank in North Cyprus, where he served for more than six years. In 2009, he founded Shanda Consult Ltd in the Republic of Cyprus, which provides business consulting focused on cross-border industrial investments, localisation advisory and non-regulated investment advisory in Cyprus and the Middle East. During his professional engagements, Stefan Nolte worked and gathered international business experience in various countries such as Morocco, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, the UAE, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

As the president of the Cyprus Germany Business Association, together with its board, Stefan Nolte emphasizes on fostering joint activities of German and Cypriot companies, universities and other bodies in the fields of business, headquartering and production in Cyprus and research & development cooperation.

Nicolas Theocharides

Member of the board of directors, chairman of the promotion committee of the board, Invest Cyprus

Nicolas Theocharides

Member of the board of directors, chairman of the promotion committee of the board, Invest Cyprus

Nicolas Theocharides is the CEO and managing director of the Wealth Management Boutique U.P.M. Limited which serves high net worth individuals. He is also on the board of directors of other companies and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).

He has served as a member of the board of directors of Invest Cyprus since 2011 and is the chairman of the promotion committee of the board.

A qualified banker - associate of the Institute of Financial Services of the UK, he previously held during a successful 20 year banking career, several management posts in International Business and Private Banking with one of the large local banks in Cyprus. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Russia Business Association.

Mr Theocharides is an economist and holds a BA in Economics and Law from the University of East Anglia and an MBA from CIIM and attended as a scholar at Harvard University a post Masters course on Investment Appraisal and Management. He has a special interest and training in matters of Corporate Governance.

Savvas Peltekis

Managing director, TÜV HELLAS

Savvas Peltekis

Managing director, TÜV HELLAS

Mr Savvas Peltekis was born in Rethymno of Crete, in 1958, and graduated in 1981 from the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineer of NTUA

For five (5) years he had been president of HellasCert (Hellenic Association of Certification and Inspection Bodies) and for 5 years member of the board of directors of the Union.

He has been active in the field of quality since 1988, with objects of interest such as:

- Protection of the environment - ecology - green energy

- Quality management in large infrastructure construction projects

- Market supervision - healthy competition

Michaela Balis

Director Greece & Cyprus, Germany Trade & Invest

Michaela Balis

Director Greece & Cyprus, Germany Trade & Invest

Michaela Balis was born in Hamburg. Since 2010 she has been representing the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany Trade & Invest, in Greece and in Cyprus.

Previously she worked as the head of the economic relations and marketing department of the German-Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

She holds a University degree in European and International Economic Sciences from the Athens University of Economics and Business and a master degree in European Organization and Diplomacy from the National Kapodestrian University in Athens.

Her mother tongues are German and Greek. She is fluent in French and English.

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